NAB approves inquiry against Saad Rafique in Railways land lease

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Saturday directed for inquiry into another major embezzlement case against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader MNA Saad Rafique. NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal gave go-ahead to investigate railways land lease case against the former railways minister who is under NAB’s custody. NAB sources said Saad Rafique had during his tenure given land in Lahore, Kasur and Faisalabad on lease for 33 years. They said the issue of lease of land was dubious and done through forgery. NAB sources said the state’s land was allocated for petrol pumps and commercial shops. “Saad with the help of different companies gave the land on lease disregarding the land rules,” they added. The NAB chairman has directed to complete probe in the case and present report to him. Khawaja Saad Rafique on Wednesday submitted a reply in the Supreme Court to the audit para on the financial losses in Pakistan Railways. As per details, a three-judge bench under the stewardship of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the case of Railways losses at the top court’s Lahore Registry. For the hearing, officials of the NAB presented the detained leader of the PML-N before the bench. The legal counsel of Rafique submitted a reply to the audit para pertaining to losses in the railways. “No corruption or irregularities have been mentioned in the audit paras,” the counsel said. To this, the top judge remarked, “There have been losses.”